Master's degree (2 years)
Full time
Applied Economics and Sustainability

The master program will give you a solid foundation in applied economics, economic methods, and its application to sustainability.

Apply here

Application deadline:

Norwegian, Nordic, EU/EEA and Swiss citizens: 15th of April.

Students outside EU/EEA/EFTA: 1st of December.

Non-EU/EEA/EFTA citizens must pay tuition fees: www.nmbu.no/en/studies/tuition-fees

Start of Studies:

Autumn 2025

Number of students:

Required points:

3,00 (2023)

Requirements:

Bachelor's Degree in Economics or similar

Requirements in detail
Applicants with a Bachelor degree in economics or other relevant fields. The degree should include courses in mathematics and statistics and intermediate level courses in micro- and macroeconomics.

All the grades from the bachelor degree will be counted in the average grade. A weighted average grade of C or better is required for admission to the programme.

Applicants must demonstrate English language ability in accordance with the NMBU regulations for programmes taught in English: Language requirements for programmes taught in English at NMBU | NMBU

The Master programme in Applied Economics and Sustainability will prepare you for life as an economist, emphasising relevance for the workplace, public life and society, and the role of sustainability.

The faculty from which the Master's is offered is internationally renowned in its fields, and is engaged in national and international policy development.

The fields of expertise span from environmental, energy and climate economics, development economics, public economics and housing economics, to financial and commodity market analysis. The Master's is conducted in English.

Structure

The programme consists of a set of mandatory courses, optional courses and a master thesis. These amount to 55, 35 and 30 ECTS points respectively. The mandatory courses cover core microeconomic and macroeconomic theory, empirical methods, and public economics and sustainability. The optional courses can be freely selected, or you can choose a specialization from the following:

The specific structure and requirements within each specialization is detailed in each link. For those selecting optional courses, at least 25 ECTS points are required from Master courses (300-level) in Economics or Business. The remaining 10 ECTS can be from any intermediate or Master courses (200-level or higher) at NMBU's School of Economics and Business or from any introductory course (100-level) from another NMBU department.

Courses at the School of Economics and Business (English)

Courses at NMBU (English)

Full overview of programme structure

Career opportunities

Economists have specialized knowledge on how the economy influences societies and the well-being of inhabitants. This makes economists well suited to work on issues in environmental policy, energy systems, development aid, enterprise development, trade policy and general economic policy. Economists are therefore in high demand in the private and public sectors as well as by many non-governmental organizations.

Hajar Benhammou, former student at Applied Economics and Sustainability

- The possiblity of combining courses of interest with mandatory courses was also interesting for me, in that way I could tailor my own degree. In addition, this is in an international study program, that gives opportunity to form friendships with people from many different countries all over the world. This opened up new perspectives and contributed to engaging discussions in the classroom. An interdisciplinary master's degree, such as the master's Applied Economics and Sustainability at NMBU, is very relevant in the job I will be starting at Skatteetaten.

Read student stories and get information about the student life at NMBU here.

Do you have questions for the study counselor?

If you have any questions about the study program that you cannot find the answer to here, you are welcome to contact us. Feel free to contact us by email at studieveileder-hh@nmbu.no or by phone directly to the study counselor. You can also book a study guidance appointment if you wish to schedule a meeting.

Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes
A candidate who has completed his or her qualification should have the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge:
- Has advanced knowledge about microeconomic theory including producer and consumer behavior, and allocation of scarce resources, and how it relates to sustainability
- Is able to formulate research questions, identify and collect relevant data, and consult and critically assess economic literature.
- Has a strong understanding of how economic sustainability involves understanding trade-offs and opportunity costs in production, consumption, resource use and the government’s role in defining societal targets.
- Insight into one of the key specialties at the School of Economics and Business e.g., climate, energy, resource, environment, or developmental economics, public economics, and taxation.
Skills:
- Identify and analyze contemporary problems using economic theory and evaluate their relevance
- Undertake and complete an independent research project in economics including data collection, analysis, and draw conclusions.
- Formulate researchable questions that links understanding of economy theory with its relevance for natural and environmental sciences, other social science, development studies, finance and commodity market analysis, or food and agricultural sciences; and
- Apply advanced methods to analyze economic data and phenomenon, draw valid conclusions, and make relevant policy recommendations.
General competency:
- Identify, review and evaluate different theories and positions, primary and secondary data, and research and other publications; and to extract reliable information from these sources and identify knowledge gaps.
- Work independently, or with direct responsibility to a diverse, interdisciplinary team to organize, plan, and conduct assigned tasks to achieve common goals in a timely fashion.
- Build teams and inter-personal communication across cultures and across academic fields.
- Communicate clearly and effectively, in speech and writing, about complex problems and solutions in ways tailored to different audiences.
- Develop writing skills and learn to evaluate and use primary and secondary sources of data in the academic writing in line with ethical standards.  
Exchange possibilities
NMBU School of Economics and Business highly recommends its students to include a semester or a year of study abroad in their education. The department and the university have exchange agreements with universities across the world.

For students interested in a semester exchange, it is recommended that this takes place in the first second semester. If you plan to go on exchange, please make an appointment with your study advisor.

You will have the option to select an internship as part of your studies.
Program structure
The master’s degree consists of 120 ECTS, including a 30 ECTS master’s thesis.

The program is structured in four parts:
- A set of mandatory courses in mathematics, economics, data analysis, econometrics, introductory programming, public economics and taxation, and sustainability (55 ECTS).
- Specialization profiles in Environment, Climate, and Energy; Financial and Commodity Market Analysis; or elective courses (35 ECTS). The electives in the program can be either in one of the profiles, or freely chosen among the courses offered at NMBU. NB! The profile in Financial and Commodity Market Analysis requires BUS220 or equivalent from the bachelor level.
- Master thesis (30 ECTS)
Full overview of programme structure
Admission requirements
More about the program
- Societal relevance
  Modern economies are characterized by complexity, interconnectedness, and the exposure to rapid changes, which can originate domestically or internationally. Decision- and policymakers in both the private and public sectors require an ever-greater information and data base to assist them in responding to the challenges and opportunities that confront them. The theoretical and methodological foundation of an economist equips them to address real-world problems. The master’s program in Applied Economics and Sustainability provides comprehensive training in economic theory and quantitative analysis, and exposes the student to topics in sustainability, approaches, and methods that enable them to conduct economic and/or market analysis at the macroeconomic, sectoral and the firm or household level. The program also qualifies candidates for further studies at the doctoral level.
- Learning activities
  The courses included in the program use a diverse set of pedagogical approaches including traditional lectures, group- and teamwork case studies, excursions and field trips and digital learning tools. There is a focus on student centered learning.
  
  A student mentorship program is implemented where 2nd year students act as mentors for 1st year students. A student conference takes place each spring where master students present their work.
  
  During work with the master thesis, students will be assigned a supervisor which provides ongoing feedback and assistance from beginning to end. Supervisors will be allocated according to students’ topics of interest.
- Examination
  Individual courses in the program use a range of different assessment methods including semester assignments, project reports, peer review, presentations, and exams. All assessments are constructively aligned with each course’s learning outcomes, and courses in the program are selected such that they together meet the learning outcomes of the program. Assessments in courses are such that students will meet a variety of different assessment methods throughout the program.
- Equipment
  In this study program we use computers in learning situations and in exams. Therefore every student must have their own laptop, cf. The Academic Regulations for the Norwegian University of Life Sciences § 17-4. 
- Information for students from partner universities
  We highly welcome incoming guest students and will do our best to adapt our courses to facilitate student exchange.